How To Choose New Flooring Like A Pro!
Carpet | Vinyl Tile & Plank | Hardwood | Local Stores
(Free Information by Consumer Advocate - No Flooring Sales)
Top 100 Carpet Questions & Answers 10
What Are Carpet Characteristics?
|
Best Carpet Stores Near Me?
|
Carpet
provides…
-
Durability
-
Elegance
-
Versatility
-
Warmth
-
Comfort
-
Softness
-
Good value
-
Insulating properties
-
Energy savings
-
Noise dampening
-
Non-slip surface
-
Easy maintenance
-
Fire resistance
How Often Should I Replace My Carpet?
Some Carpets are designed to last for less than 5 years. Some carpets are designed to last for 25 years, but sooner or later your Carpet will have outlived its usefulness and should be replaced.
Maybe your carpet is just worn out or maybe it is harboring years of dirt, grime, mold and mildew hiding deep down in the pile where it can't be reached by any carpet cleaning process.
Perhaps you are getting tired of looking at your old carpet and want to spruce up the place a bit. Either way you might want to consider this question carefully because new carpet is a costly and a time-consuming process.
Take
my free Carpet Replacement Quiz
to help you determine if your old Carpet is still worthy of another Professional
Cleaning or if it’s finally time to
replace
your
old Carpet.
Why I Only Recommend Locally-Owned Carpet Stores?
Lowe's and Home Depot have certainly met homeowners needs for DIY home improvement products and I shop there for many items like most folks do, but knowing what I know, I would never buy carpet or flooring from them. Why?
Once you pay for the materials and labor costs (which they require paid upfront and in-full at the time of ordering), the big box retailer is pretty much done serving you. They are only in business to sell you the materials and they subcontract out practically everything else, including the in-home measuring service and the installation to other privately held companies or independent contractors.
What Do BOX Stores Say When You Call With a Carpet Complaint?
They will likely say that since THEY didn't install your carpet and since THEY didn't manufacture your carpet, YOU have to seek a remedy with either the carpet manufacturer or the carpet installation company. Basically, this means you are on your own with little or no help from the box store!
This also means if you believe you have an installation problem with your carpet, you will have to contact the installation company directly for a remedy. When someone finally comes out to inspect your carpet they may say your problem is not an installation problem, but is a carpet defect.
Now you have to contact the carpet manufacturer directly and ask them to come by and take a look at your carpet. They in turn will inspect your carpet and may say it is not a carpet defect, but an installation problem or maybe they will blame you for improper carpet maintenance, care or abuse.
This is the vicious cycle that makes homeowners absolutely furious when no one is willing to accept responsibility for their carpet complaint. And what about those incredible $37 carpet installation specials? It sure sounds good at first, but is it really a good deal for you in the long run?
Do you know what they mean by a "basic" installation? It means that anything you need, above and beyond their limited definition of a "basic installation", will add significant additional charges to your final bill.
You might not discover how much more this will cost you until the day of installation when the installers arrive with your carpet and then require you pay hundreds more for materials or services before they will begin.
These are just a few reasons why I only recommend buying carpet from a reputable, locally-owned Carpet retailer.
Local stores have a vested interest in your community and tend to go the extra mile to make sure you are completely satisfied from start to finish.
I don't like hearing about huge corporate profits and mega salaries paid out to big-shot corporate CEO's while millions of hard-working Americans are underpaid, over-worked and struggling to support their families with a low hourly working wage.
The typical corporate mindset is only concerned about making as much profit as possible and spending as little as possible on wages, healthcare and customer service. The truth is, buying from locally-owned small businesses is far better for you and your local community, better for local job creation and better for your schools. roads, and the long-term future of your children!
Now that you know several good reasons why I only recommend buying from a locally-owned carpet business, I ask that you consider buying locally. Not only will they treat you like gold, but they will take very good care of you before and after the sale.
Should I Buy Carpet from Lowe's, Home Depot or Costco?
Answer:
Like you, I shop at home improvement warehouses when I need lumber, lighting, nails, potting soil or small hand tools, and overall I think they have reasonable prices and a nice selection.
But as a 30-year carpet expert, I think that buying new Carpet from Lowe's, Home Depot, Costco or any other big box warehouse retailer may not be the wisest way to go for most homeowners. Here's why...
All of these big-box retailers farm-out their measuring and installations to other companies, and they use private labels on their samples to make comparison shopping almost impossible. There are many other important reasons why I don't recommend buying new Carpet from big-box retailers. Read on...
Honest answers to carpet buying questions!
From what I've experienced myself, I find that many BIG BOX salespeople are relatively new to the carpet and flooring business and many lack sufficient product knowledge and "hands-on" experience to accurately answer even the most basic carpet questions.
Working nights and weekends by the hour at a home improvement warehouse is surely a demanding job and many new retail workers have been hired after having lost their job from the downturn in the economy.
These nice folks have had to seek out other employment opportunities just to make ends meet, but they are often overworked and underpaid and likely don't have any hands-on experience in carpet and flooring.
This means that there might not be much passion for their new and hopefully "temporary" employment at the local big box warehouse. Because buying new Carpet or Flooring is such a big and important investment, ALL your carpet questions need to be answered by someone who really knows what they are talking about!
Big Box Corporate Conglomerates
It's obvious that Home Depot and Lowe's got into the Carpet and flooring business because they saw a golden opportunity to make some serious money selling carpet and flooring. They have deep pockets and enough corporate muscles to negotiate special flooring deals with certain manufacturers.
They also have the ability to spend millions on advertising to lure-in unsuspecting homeowners. In doing so they have forced many long-standing, honest and reputable, locally-owned flooring stores to go out of business.
The Best & Worst Places To Buy Carpet?
Heavy Foot Traffic Lanes?
I’m
so glad I ran across your website! We're getting ready to invest in carpeting
our entire house (about 2,000 sq. feet). My brother's builder (consistent high
end Parade home winner) referred us to his supplier and buyer. He gave us a
quote for carpet, pad, and installation for Mohawk's Horizon carpet. It's kind
of like the frieze' (I call it a twist-short shag). I love it, but I do have
kids and we show Dobermans. I don't have a housebreaking problem with the dogs
and they are kept in our indoor kennel room 60% of the time, so they don't
create excessive wear.
My problem is that we have high traffic patterns. Our house is a typical ranch
home that's about 20 years old (original carpet). You almost walk the same exact
pattern every where you go. Is this a good traffic carpet and do you think it's
a good price. I can't seem to find a durability rating for it anywhere. Trying
to find it at Home Depot or Lowe's for a comparison is very difficult as they
use different product names and colors.
Any help is appreciated. I've never had to purchase carpet and it's so
confusing! Thank you for being so helpful to everyone. I was relieved when I
found you!
P.S. Half of my sq. footage is basement. Would this be a good carpet for a finished very dry basement? Would you suggest a pad over concrete for the basement? I have Berber now and I hate it! I want something more softer and elegant as we use it for our family room, den and office (dog kennel is there too, but I will keep the Berber in that room).
Answer:
Wait! Don't buy anything yet! There is so much more you need to know. The frieze you mentioned would be all right for you if it were made of nylon. I suspect the carpet you have selected is a polyester. Inherently, a good quality frieze will tolerate a lot of abuse, but only when it is made from Nylon. A polyester (P.E.T.) carpet will mat down in a hurry, especially in moderate to heavy foot traffic areas. Carpet durability? Check out this chart: Carpet Durability Guide Chart
My best advice: Take your time and do your carpet homework. Make sure your basement
is dry (do a moisture test to be sure). Use a good quality padding to make your
basement warmer and softer underfoot. Buying carpet is so complex these days
involving
proper selection, correct padding, quality installation, accurate measuring, not
to mention getting a good price is the five step process that all must be done
right in order for you to be successful. Otherwise, you will end up not
satisfied with the outcome and you will have lost hundreds or worse. 5 Secrets to Carpet Buying Success
What if they install a different carpet than I ordered?
Q.
I just had some nylon Berber carpet installed. However, the weave or
loop is much larger than the sample. What should I do now?
Answer:
Sometimes
honest mistakes are made and the mill sends out the wrong carpet. This is not a
scam, just a mishap and not a common occurrence.
For
example, if you order a 42-ounce carpet and they install a 38-ounce carpet
hoping you don't notice the difference.
If
you suspect the style or color is not quite what you ordered there may be a
simple explanation.
If
you are sure that your memory is accurate and something is just not right, then
you must go on to the next step...
First
read your carpet warranty and try to get your hands on the original carpet
sample that you ordered from.
If
there is a noticeable difference they should reorder the carpet and there should
not be any additional cost to you.
The
manufacturer's warranty typically says that there may be slight variances
between the carpet sample and the actual carpet that is delivered.
Eventually,
the carpet
manufacturer will send out an inspector to investigate your claim. This process
could take several weeks to complete. If you win, they should replace the carpet
at no cost to you, however you will probably be responsible for moving the
furniture.
More Q & A...
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5
